HIS HILL
A c t i n g o n t h e Tr u t h
by Charlie McCall
Humility and Accountability in All the Seasons of Life Paul went from being an arrogant, self-assured zealot to a humble servant of God. Most amazing to me is his testimony in the letter to the Galatians where he says that he subjected the gospel that he had been preaching to the Jerusalem elders for fear that he was perhaps “running in vain” (Gal. 2:2); in other words, in fear that he was wrong. That’s miraculous.
His Hill P.O. Box 9 Comfort, Texas 78013
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Comfort, TX Permit Number 16
830-995-3388 [email protected] www.hishill.org Return Service Requested
Paul had heard the voice of Jesus from heaven, was healed of blindness, had the resurrected Christ appear to him, spent over a decade in ministry where he saw countless people saved, others healed, and the dead raised. He had every reason to believe that God was validating through signs and miracles that he was on the right track and was preaching and teaching the right stuff. But there was a group of people (Jewish Christians) who kept telling him that he was wrong to not insist that the Gentile converts be circumcised. In Paul’s mind, that was an addition to the gospel. Which means that it was another gospel (Gal. 1:6), a departure from Christ (1:6; 5:4), a falling from grace (5:4), and utter foolishness (3:1). In other words, he felt very strongly about his position! Scripture and years of experience backed him up. Yet . . .
Torchbearers
Here’s the miracle . . . he recognized that he could be wrong! Scripture can be wrongly interpreted. Experience can have other than God as the cause and can also be wrongly interpreted. So Paul did what very few people in his position, with his experience, age, knowledge and authority have done. He humbled himself! He recognized that he was part of the Body of Christ, that Christ is the head of it, and that Christ has raised up leaders for His Body through whom He exercises authority, gives direction, correction, and affirmation. Paul did not have the attitude that the only authority in his life was God. God is indeed our authority, and He places us under the authority of others. A Christian who claims to be under the authority of Christ and has no other authority in his life that he is answerable to is deceived. He is not under authority, he is in rebellion.
HIS HILL Bible School Camp Retreats
Spring 2018 Newsletter
If Paul, not inferior to the most eminent of the apostles (2 Cor. 11:5), would willingly submit all he believed and all his ministry experience, set aside all the miracles as proof that he was on the right track and submit himself to a group of godly Christian men who as Jews would have been inclined toward the position of Paul’s enemies, so much more should we submit all we teach and every experience we’ve had to those in the Body of Christ who know Jesus and His Word and will honestly examine the Scriptures to see if what we believe and teach squares with what God has said. I have in my life a board of this ministry, an elder board at my church, my wife, my adult children and my staff to whom I am accountable – in theory. But what about in my heart and practice? Am I truly accountable, teachable? Am I willing to lay on the table for others to examine what I believe and teach? Am I willing to listen and to be corrected? What about you? Are you prepared to submit your convictions and experiences to the examination of others? Do you have people in your life that you will yield to in obedience to Christ? It is God’s design for us to have this. It is meant to be the manifestation of the indwelling Christ who is Himself humble of heart and totally under the authority of His Father. This miracle of humility, submission to authority and being teachable comes about by putting on Christ. It is a miracle that He wants to display in us no matter how old, wise and experienced we might be. We are afraid that if we submit our interpretation of Scripture to others for examination we could be proven wrong. We fear that the deeply personal experiences that support our convictions could be dismissed as not being from God. Our whole house of belief could come crashing down. What would we have left? The truth! We would be deeply humbled, to be sure. And we would once again be walking in truth. On the other hand, like Paul, we could have our experiences and understanding of Scripture confirmed. Thus, this kind of humility and accountability doesn’t have a downside. We either get set back on the track of truth, or we receive the backing and support in what we believe of godly, mature Christians. Either way, Christ is exalted through His humility being on display in us. Our students are about to finish their school year and return to their churches and to the world. Pray that they will walk humbly and remain accountable in their young Christian lives. I’m entering the last season of my walk with Christ. My kids are married and having kids of their own. I’m now in my sixties (how did that happen)! Pray that I, too, will walk humbly with God and remain accountable to His Body.
His Hill News Upcoming Events: • Camp Family Day
April 28, 2018
• Summer Camp
Jun 3 - Aug 10
• Bible School
Sept 5-May 23
• Thanksgiving Conference Nov 20-23
Please join us in praying for:
• Continual growth in the hearts of the students • Financial aid for our Bible school students • Unity between staff and students • Summer camp 2018 - Kids would know Christ • Stamness family as they move to part time Stay up to date with us on Facebook & Instagram
Bible School Update
Spring Break Trips Costa Rica
Temple Tours - San Antonio, TX
His Hill is blessed to have students in attendance this year from Germany, Austria, Holland, Ukraine, Brazil, Canada and
The first two days our team spent on the beach; we saw
I had the privilege of going on the Temple Tours trip
them grow in their relationships with Christ and in their understanding of the significance of His indwelling presence
and ate a variety of novel fruits and dishes. The second
San Antonio, touring different temples, synagogues,
the U.S.. We prayed that they would come hungry and humble. God answered. They’re a wonderful group! Watching
has been indescribable. Every year we are able to witness the activity of the risen Lord Jesus working powerfully in the lives of the students to bring them into greater conformity to Himself as they yield to Him. Jesus lives! He is still in the
business of setting people free and living through them to the praise and glory of God! Jesus is truly the source, means and goal of life (Rom. 11:36).
sloths, iguanas, monkeys, alligators, amazing plants,
part of the trip was more mission-oriented; we stayed
at Portantorchas, (a Torchbearers Center in Costa Rica.) We mostly worked at a local church (which was also a school) digging irrigation ditches, but one day we folded
Perhaps you, or someone you know, would be interested in joining us for nine-months of study of God’s Word and
papers to put in the text books for the Project Jesus for
office for more information.
that everything we do is a form of worship to Christ (1
personal discipleship where the Lord Jesus Christ is pre-eminent in everything that is taught and done. Contact our
Children ministry. During our work and play, I realized Corinthians 10:31.) Work is no more worship than play, and because both are to the same end, neither should be
43 rd Thanksgiving Conference November 20-23, 2018
more satisfying than the other. I’m glad God gave me this experience, and I’m sure the lessons I learned will stay - Hannah Warnick, 1st Year with me all my life.
this spring break and it was amazing. We stayed in
meeting places and churches, learning what different people in the world believe today. As a Christian, this
was heartbreaking for me. The world is so caught up in Satan’s same lie put in so many different packages.
Religions can’t see that Jesus Christ is enough. They always need more, and the more is always created by
man; and is, therefore, a lie. Every religion said the same thing, “Yes, Jesus existed; no He is not one with
God, and to get to heaven you need to live your life as perfectly as you can for the best possible outcome.” The
Bible clearly teaches that the only way to get to heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ. There is nothing that we
can do on our own (John 14:6). Anyone who confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believes in their heart that
Our speakers will be Dale Epp & Ron Lowery
He died and rose again, has been saved. It’s that simple.
- Caleb Gagnier, 1st year
Camp 2018
Camp is around the corner and we’re hard at work preparing for summer! Our maintenance team recently completed construction of a roof covering part of our pool deck, upgrades have been made to the girls’ bathrooms at the Ark, and we’re laying down turf for our ga-ga ball pits. All are much needed improvements! In the midst of those preparations, the Lord calls us to be “humble and contrite of spirit” (Is. 66:2). As I consider Christ’s heart for the nations, His desire for all to be saved, humility is essential in order to exude Christ’s love for people. The love of God would not be as clear if we did not get to see His humbling Himself in being made in the likeness of man. Jesus takes on flesh out of loving obedience to the Father and sacrificial love for the world. As those who are in Christ, we cannot hope to express the love of God to kids coming to camp without living from a place of humility. Until we recognize our own need for Christ, we will fail in demonstrating the love of Christ. There may be a resemblance of His love, but it will not be the complete and unconditional love which Christ has poured out on us. And so in the midst of many preparations for camp, our primary preparation is being reminded of Christ, His humble love, in order that we too would humble ourselves before the Lord. Only then can the love of Christ clearly be displayed to the children coming this summer. - Jon Forrest
Israel Having the opportunity to go to Israel was an eye-opening experience. We saw so many biblical sites from the
gate of an ancient city that Abraham walked through, to the hill where he was going to sacrifice Isaac. We saw the sea of Galilee where Jesus spent most of His time ministering to the people and the places of His birth, death, and resurrection. It was amazing to walk where Jesus walked and see what He saw. We ended our trip at the Garden Tomb where Jesus rose from the dead. In the tomb was a small sign that said “He’s not here for He has risen.”
It was a great reminder for us to remember that Jesus is not just in Israel. He is omnipresent. And one day He is
coming back. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be able to go to Israel and I think that everyone should go at least once in their life. - Hope Pettibon, 2nd Year
by Charlie McCall
Humility and Accountability in All the Seasons of Life Paul went from being an arrogant, self-assured zealot to a humble servant of God. Most amazing to me is his testimony in the letter to the Galatians where he says that he subjected the gospel that he had been preaching to the Jerusalem elders for fear that he was perhaps “running in vain” (Gal. 2:2); in other words, in fear that he was wrong. That’s miraculous.
His Hill P.O. Box 9 Comfort, Texas 78013
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Comfort, TX Permit Number 16
830-995-3388 [email protected] www.hishill.org Return Service Requested
Paul had heard the voice of Jesus from heaven, was healed of blindness, had the resurrected Christ appear to him, spent over a decade in ministry where he saw countless people saved, others healed, and the dead raised. He had every reason to believe that God was validating through signs and miracles that he was on the right track and was preaching and teaching the right stuff. But there was a group of people (Jewish Christians) who kept telling him that he was wrong to not insist that the Gentile converts be circumcised. In Paul’s mind, that was an addition to the gospel. Which means that it was another gospel (Gal. 1:6), a departure from Christ (1:6; 5:4), a falling from grace (5:4), and utter foolishness (3:1). In other words, he felt very strongly about his position! Scripture and years of experience backed him up. Yet . . .
Torchbearers
Here’s the miracle . . . he recognized that he could be wrong! Scripture can be wrongly interpreted. Experience can have other than God as the cause and can also be wrongly interpreted. So Paul did what very few people in his position, with his experience, age, knowledge and authority have done. He humbled himself! He recognized that he was part of the Body of Christ, that Christ is the head of it, and that Christ has raised up leaders for His Body through whom He exercises authority, gives direction, correction, and affirmation. Paul did not have the attitude that the only authority in his life was God. God is indeed our authority, and He places us under the authority of others. A Christian who claims to be under the authority of Christ and has no other authority in his life that he is answerable to is deceived. He is not under authority, he is in rebellion.
HIS HILL Bible School Camp Retreats
Spring 2018 Newsletter
If Paul, not inferior to the most eminent of the apostles (2 Cor. 11:5), would willingly submit all he believed and all his ministry experience, set aside all the miracles as proof that he was on the right track and submit himself to a group of godly Christian men who as Jews would have been inclined toward the position of Paul’s enemies, so much more should we submit all we teach and every experience we’ve had to those in the Body of Christ who know Jesus and His Word and will honestly examine the Scriptures to see if what we believe and teach squares with what God has said. I have in my life a board of this ministry, an elder board at my church, my wife, my adult children and my staff to whom I am accountable – in theory. But what about in my heart and practice? Am I truly accountable, teachable? Am I willing to lay on the table for others to examine what I believe and teach? Am I willing to listen and to be corrected? What about you? Are you prepared to submit your convictions and experiences to the examination of others? Do you have people in your life that you will yield to in obedience to Christ? It is God’s design for us to have this. It is meant to be the manifestation of the indwelling Christ who is Himself humble of heart and totally under the authority of His Father. This miracle of humility, submission to authority and being teachable comes about by putting on Christ. It is a miracle that He wants to display in us no matter how old, wise and experienced we might be. We are afraid that if we submit our interpretation of Scripture to others for examination we could be proven wrong. We fear that the deeply personal experiences that support our convictions could be dismissed as not being from God. Our whole house of belief could come crashing down. What would we have left? The truth! We would be deeply humbled, to be sure. And we would once again be walking in truth. On the other hand, like Paul, we could have our experiences and understanding of Scripture confirmed. Thus, this kind of humility and accountability doesn’t have a downside. We either get set back on the track of truth, or we receive the backing and support in what we believe of godly, mature Christians. Either way, Christ is exalted through His humility being on display in us. Our students are about to finish their school year and return to their churches and to the world. Pray that they will walk humbly and remain accountable in their young Christian lives. I’m entering the last season of my walk with Christ. My kids are married and having kids of their own. I’m now in my sixties (how did that happen)! Pray that I, too, will walk humbly with God and remain accountable to His Body.
His Hill News Upcoming Events: • Camp Family Day
April 28, 2018
• Summer Camp
Jun 3 - Aug 10
• Bible School
Sept 5-May 23
• Thanksgiving Conference Nov 20-23
Please join us in praying for:
• Continual growth in the hearts of the students • Financial aid for our Bible school students • Unity between staff and students • Summer camp 2018 - Kids would know Christ • Stamness family as they move to part time Stay up to date with us on Facebook & Instagram
Bible School Update
Spring Break Trips Costa Rica
Temple Tours - San Antonio, TX
His Hill is blessed to have students in attendance this year from Germany, Austria, Holland, Ukraine, Brazil, Canada and
The first two days our team spent on the beach; we saw
I had the privilege of going on the Temple Tours trip
them grow in their relationships with Christ and in their understanding of the significance of His indwelling presence
and ate a variety of novel fruits and dishes. The second
San Antonio, touring different temples, synagogues,
the U.S.. We prayed that they would come hungry and humble. God answered. They’re a wonderful group! Watching
has been indescribable. Every year we are able to witness the activity of the risen Lord Jesus working powerfully in the lives of the students to bring them into greater conformity to Himself as they yield to Him. Jesus lives! He is still in the
business of setting people free and living through them to the praise and glory of God! Jesus is truly the source, means and goal of life (Rom. 11:36).
sloths, iguanas, monkeys, alligators, amazing plants,
part of the trip was more mission-oriented; we stayed
at Portantorchas, (a Torchbearers Center in Costa Rica.) We mostly worked at a local church (which was also a school) digging irrigation ditches, but one day we folded
Perhaps you, or someone you know, would be interested in joining us for nine-months of study of God’s Word and
papers to put in the text books for the Project Jesus for
office for more information.
that everything we do is a form of worship to Christ (1
personal discipleship where the Lord Jesus Christ is pre-eminent in everything that is taught and done. Contact our
Children ministry. During our work and play, I realized Corinthians 10:31.) Work is no more worship than play, and because both are to the same end, neither should be
43 rd Thanksgiving Conference November 20-23, 2018
more satisfying than the other. I’m glad God gave me this experience, and I’m sure the lessons I learned will stay - Hannah Warnick, 1st Year with me all my life.
this spring break and it was amazing. We stayed in
meeting places and churches, learning what different people in the world believe today. As a Christian, this
was heartbreaking for me. The world is so caught up in Satan’s same lie put in so many different packages.
Religions can’t see that Jesus Christ is enough. They always need more, and the more is always created by
man; and is, therefore, a lie. Every religion said the same thing, “Yes, Jesus existed; no He is not one with
God, and to get to heaven you need to live your life as perfectly as you can for the best possible outcome.” The
Bible clearly teaches that the only way to get to heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ. There is nothing that we
can do on our own (John 14:6). Anyone who confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believes in their heart that
Our speakers will be Dale Epp & Ron Lowery
He died and rose again, has been saved. It’s that simple.
- Caleb Gagnier, 1st year
Camp 2018
Camp is around the corner and we’re hard at work preparing for summer! Our maintenance team recently completed construction of a roof covering part of our pool deck, upgrades have been made to the girls’ bathrooms at the Ark, and we’re laying down turf for our ga-ga ball pits. All are much needed improvements! In the midst of those preparations, the Lord calls us to be “humble and contrite of spirit” (Is. 66:2). As I consider Christ’s heart for the nations, His desire for all to be saved, humility is essential in order to exude Christ’s love for people. The love of God would not be as clear if we did not get to see His humbling Himself in being made in the likeness of man. Jesus takes on flesh out of loving obedience to the Father and sacrificial love for the world. As those who are in Christ, we cannot hope to express the love of God to kids coming to camp without living from a place of humility. Until we recognize our own need for Christ, we will fail in demonstrating the love of Christ. There may be a resemblance of His love, but it will not be the complete and unconditional love which Christ has poured out on us. And so in the midst of many preparations for camp, our primary preparation is being reminded of Christ, His humble love, in order that we too would humble ourselves before the Lord. Only then can the love of Christ clearly be displayed to the children coming this summer. - Jon Forrest
Israel Having the opportunity to go to Israel was an eye-opening experience. We saw so many biblical sites from the
gate of an ancient city that Abraham walked through, to the hill where he was going to sacrifice Isaac. We saw the sea of Galilee where Jesus spent most of His time ministering to the people and the places of His birth, death, and resurrection. It was amazing to walk where Jesus walked and see what He saw. We ended our trip at the Garden Tomb where Jesus rose from the dead. In the tomb was a small sign that said “He’s not here for He has risen.”
It was a great reminder for us to remember that Jesus is not just in Israel. He is omnipresent. And one day He is
coming back. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be able to go to Israel and I think that everyone should go at least once in their life. - Hope Pettibon, 2nd Year
